Magistrate sentences thieves to jail for “shameful” theft of $5000 US
A now-extinct $5000 US bill – the same amount was stolen in Honiara.
Two men who stole $5000 US dollars and $10,000SBD gave away most of the loot to their friends, a court has been told, with a large chunk of the stolen money still yet to be recovered.
Tom Gagame,19, and the other defendant, who is a juvenile, today pleaded guilty in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court to stealing the money and a pair of shoes from a car parked outside a shop on Kukum Highway in East Honiara last month.
Describing the act as “shameful”, Magistate Augustine Aulanga sentenced Mr Gagame to two years jail and the juvenile to one-and-a-half years jail.
“Those who steal are lazy people and prey on the effort of others to get quick or fast money through illegal ways,” Magistrate Aulanga said.
“In the Muslim world this offending may result in cutting/amputation of hands of thieves to avoid repetition (of the offence). But we are so lucky to live in a place where punishment for this crime is more civilized.”
The vehicle belonged to a Philippine national who owns a shop near where the car was stolen.
Only a portion of the stolen money was recovered, with the Magistrate revealing Mr Gamame handed out $SBD9300 to his friends.
Only $SBD700 was recovered. The juvenile handed out $US500. $US50 of which was exchanged by a friend of the duo at the Good Luck shop at the time of the offence, with Police then using CCTV cameras to track down the offenders.